


Iterations

by idraax



Series: The Long Road [3]
Category: The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Gen, I don't know who'll be in this yet, Warnings will be in the notes if necessary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-09
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-08 04:03:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 3,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idraax/pseuds/idraax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fragments of AU's I have in my head</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a bunch of snippets that float around in my had. If you'd like to use them or want me to write more of them, drop me a line in the comments. 
> 
> This is from an AU where Bruce and the Hulk are successfully separated. Bruce becomes close with Peter and Hulk becomes close with the rest of the Avengers.

There wasn't enough air left in the world when Peter saw Bruce. He was younger now and he looked better than he did back then. Peter was moving before he knew it, throwing his arms around Bruce and hugging him tight. Bruce made a confused noise and tried to pull away, Peter just held on tighter.

"I'm sorry" he choked the words out, "I couldn't _save_ you." He remembered that night, the final splintering.

"Bug man" Hulk said confused," what's going on."

"He _died_ ," Peter said, still holding on to Bruce. He spat the next bit out. "You _let_ him. You didn't even notice and I couldn't-" He took a breath, focusing on Bruce's breathing and his pulse. He could feel the others around him trading confused looks, but he didn't care right now. He had a chance now, to fix everything and he wasn't going to let anything get in his way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a bunch of snippets that float around in my head. If you'd like to use them or want me to write more of them, drop me a line in the comments.
> 
> So, I saw fics about a universe where Steve and Tony were together and adopted Peter. Some of those were set during Marvel's Civil War arc. Thus, this snippet came to mind. I'm not sure who he meets here, so it's left up to your interpretation.

He walked the earth because he couldn't stand to go home. He was his fathers son, but he also was a superhero and he just couldn't pick. Which is why he wound up here, in the middle of the ice desert.

"You're a long way from home kid" The sentence carried across the frozen land and Peter jumped.

"Who the hell?" He turned around. There was a man and here Peter blinked, because the guy wasn't dressed for this kind of cold. _Seriously? Who goes around shirtless in below freezing weather?_

"Are you crazy?" Peter took a step toward him and poked him in the chest. "Ok, you're real."

"I'm as real as you. What're you doing out here?"

Peter shrugged. "The world's gone to hell, my parents are fighting and did I mention that the world's gone to hell?"

"So, you thought you'd hide out here" The man gestured to the expanse of ice around them. Peter shrugged. "Yeah," he said, "it's not that bad. I have company." He pointed at the man, who tossed his head back and laughed. It continued like this for a few moments before the man wiped his eyes.

"Ah, I hadn't laughed like that in a while. Thanks, kid"

"No, problem"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a bunch of snippets that float around in my had. If you'd like to use them or want me to write more of them, drop me a line in the comments.
> 
> This is another AU where Bruce and the Hulk are separated. In this one, Tony made something that would ensure that the Hulk had no side effects from being separated from Bruce. He was going to do the same for Bruce ,but stuff happened. After that, Bruce dropped out of their lives quietly, and only Peter had some intermittent contact with him.

"We need Bruce Banner" Fury said slamming his hands on the table and glaring at all of them. "You're telling me none of you know how to get in contact with him?"

"Yes sir" Steve said. Next to him Tony paled and started tapping away frantically at his tablet.

"Shit," he muttered, "I don't think I gave him the stabilizer."

"The stabilizer" Steve repeated, "the one that was supposed to stabilize both his and Hulk's forms?"

Tony nodded, bringing up data graphs and spreading them out on the table. "I was working on it and then we got called away and so many things happened and I-"

"You forgot" Peter said from the other side of Tony. His voice was calm and his expression was serious.

"Yeah" Tony slumped in his chair. "Without the stabilizer..."

"You're telling me, he might be dead?" Fury interrupted.

Tony nodded and no one said anything for a while after that.

"He's not" Peter said eventually and they all looked at him.

" _What?_ " Steve and Tony said together.

Peter shrugged. "He fixed himself. The last I saw of him, he was hanging out with Dr. Strange...er...the Sorceror Supreme I mean."

Fury sighed. "Start there" he ordered. "We need him for this."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a bunch of snippets that float around in my head. If you'd like to use them or want me to write more of them, drop me a line in the comments.
> 
> This was inspired by a scene of a story where I think Bruce was meant to be Loki's kid. It's on AO3 somewhere; I don't have the link unfortunately. Also unfortunately, the story only had one scene, so this is a what-if. There is a hint of FrostIron in this. For more detail about this AU, read [this](http://writingfish.tumblr.com/post/73654184726/this-is-also-posted-here-the-minute-loki-and)

The minute Loki and Tony started snarking at each other, Bruce could see their future spinning out. Well not all of it of course, but the important points. The pieces fell from their storage space inside his mind, locked into place and unwound from their twisted forms. His story joined theirs and it made a brilliant and terrible circle.

 _Oh, god_ , he thought, _they're my parents_.

He felt Hulk stir at his mini breakdown and it felt like someone had sympathetically patted him on the head and then gone back to sleep.

 _Some help you are_ , he thought at him and then went back to freaking out.

They had all seen Loki's true form when he crashed to Earth. (Thor had followed him shortly after, taken one look at him and nearly squeezed the life out of him with his hug.) All blue and somewhat transparent.

Things had started making sense then.

He remembered that time in middle school when his skin had started turning blue in winter. (He thought he was just too cold.) But, it started happening in spring and one day he woke up and he wasn't human anymore. (He had learned the art of illusion quickly after that.)

Now, though, he looked at them tossing barbs back and forth and could see the start of _something_. (He had a feeling he knew what it was, but he had to ask just to be sure.) He backed out of the room and said to J.A.R.V.I.S, "Is that why you gave me near complete access?"

"Indeed," J.A.R.V.I.S replied. "Scans indicated your DNA was highly similar to Sir's." He nodded and sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"This is not going to end well," he said aloud, "for anyone."

He felt like he was going to freak out again. Hulk rumbled inside his head, clearly communicating his concern.

 _What do I do?_ He thought at him. Hulk shrugged. _Some guardian spirit you are._ He grumbled and thumped his head against the nearest wall.

"Fuck"


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a bunch of snippets that float around in my head. If you'd like to use them or want me to write more of them, drop me a line in the comments.
> 
> This is from an AU where Hulk is the last person left on Earth. Bruce just sleeps the years away while Hulk wanders around.

After a few years, he begins to feel lonely. At first it's great. There is no one around to bother him, no one to shoot weapons at him and even the incessant stream of equations and molecular structures inside his head had ceased.

He had walked the world for all of those years, seen every nook and cranny, every valley and mountain. He was tired now, there was nothing left to see. He sat down on a nearby rock and poked at the presence inside his head.

 _Go away_ it grumbled at him, _sleeping_.

He growled and poked harder.

 _Hulk bored_ he said. The presence grumbled but meandered over to the forefront.

 _Get off the planet?_ Bruce suggested.

_How?_

_Find a ship that still works._ Bruce grumbled _And leave me alone, I'm sleeping_

Hulk grunted _. Fine_

He got up off the rock and headed eastward. He had thought he saw a ship somewhere inside the forest that lay there.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a bunch of snippets that float around in my head. If you'd like to use them or want me to write more of them, drop me a line in the comments.
> 
> This is related to the AU in [ Chapter 4](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1128110/chapters/2307023')
> 
> Loki gives up his son.

In one of the many iterations of the universe it happens like this.

The Bifrost glitters, pale shades of its many colors sparkle under the light of Asgard and the numerous stars around it. Loki makes his way, with a baby on his back, carefully to the end and nods to Heimdall.

"You know this must happen," he says and Heimdall nods and focuses on the pool of water in front of him. Gently, Loki sets the baby down and kisses his forehead.

"I wish I didn’t have to do this," he whispers to him, "but the circle must be completed and I’ll see you soon enough. Don’t worry, you will become a beautiful, _wonderful_ person. I love you.”

He straightens up and breathes in the cold air. Here, at the edge of the realm, it tingles with raw magic and he exhales his spell out into the universe. There is silence for a few moments, before in a rush of air a spirit descends toward him.

"Spirit," Loki says, "will you guard my child against any and all dangers that will befall him?"

The spirit looks at the child, then at Loki and nods its head.

"And," Loki says, "will you guide him through the universe and to his destiny?"

The spirit nods again and Loki swallows.

He picks up his son and proceeds to the edge of the bridge.

"Then go," he says and his voice cracks, "I will see you again."

He takes a breath, holds his son out into the darkness and abruptly lets go.

"Be safe," he whispers, his voice carrying to the child as he falls into the void. "Be well and always remember that I love you."

And then the child is gone and Loki turns to face Asgard and whatever else comes next.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just a bunch of snippets that float around in my head. If you'd like to use them or want me to write more of them, drop me a line in the comments.
> 
> This is from an AU in which there was a villain (don't know who) who coerced Bruce into working for him. Bruce first burned all his bridges then went to work for the villain in order to subvert his plans then separated himself from Hulk and defeated the villain. This is what happened after.
> 
> WARNING: MENTIONED CHARACTER DEATH

The minute Hulk heard the key in the lock he knew Banner was dead.

He looked up from where he sat at the far wall and growled softly. The door hummed and then swung open. Coulson and the Avengers entered, each and everyone one of them wearing a variation of frustration, grief and disappointment on their faces. Hulk felt joy and a vicious sort of grief tear through him, the remnants of Banner’s emotions. They faded quickly and something hollow opened up in his chest.

Coulson cleared his throat.

“Doctor Banner is dead,” he said, “we want to know what happened.”

Hulk sighed and shifted slightly. The Avengers tensed, but Coulson didn’t even move.

“Well,” he said.

“It was the last part of the plan” Hulk said after a silence. Confusion radiated from the group.

“The plan” Coulson said, tone unchanged.

“There was a villain” Hulk said; he wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of speaking his name “who wanted Banner to work for him. Banner agreed and worked to subvert his plans.” That wasn’t the entire story, not by a long shot, but it was all that he was going to give them. They, who hadn’t noticed a thing; Banner wasn’t that great of an actor.

The plan was brilliantly cruel and had unfolded in a series of small steps that had slowly drawn together and coalesced into something that the repercussions of which would be felt far into the future.

“Why?” Tony’s voice was full of confusion, pain and grief.

“Why do you think?” Hulk said and turned away from them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fusion of Code Lyoko and the Avengers. In it, Bruce and Hulk are trapped in a virtual reality were they're trying to prevent a virus from spreading to Earth. This is also found [ here](http://writingfish.tumblr.com/post/75800819862/so-i-wrote-a-scene-from-a-code-lyoko-avengers)

The robots skittered across the sand as Hulk growled at them. In the distance, the tower flared red. They weren’t close enough yet. 

 _Come on,_ Bruce said through their link.  _There’s an underground tunnel we can use to get closer. It looks like it’s-_

His voice cut off and Hulk quickly smashed the remaining robots and bounded off in the direction that Bruce had gone in. When he got there, he saw Bruce surrounded by more of those robot spider-like things. Bruce was fending them off with one of the energy staves he had built. 

The entrance to the tunnel was a few feet away, but the robots were numerous. They’d need something big to clear them out. Hulk growled and clapped his hands together, blowing the robots out of the way as he cleared a path to where Bruce was. 

"Now might be a good time to try out that weapon you built" he growled. "We’re not going to get to that tunnel otherwise."

Bruce nodded and handed him the stave as he retrieved a small sliver ball with a small button. 

"Cover your eyes" he said as he held it up. 

Hulk closed them and Bruce pressed the button. There was a flash of intense light and as the robots reeled back, Bruce grabbed Hulk and ran for the entrance. 

They got to it just as the light was fading away. Bruce opened up an interface and laid his hand on it. He concentrated for a moment and the entrance filled itself up with rock. 

"Come one" he said as Hulk blinked . "We have to get to the tower before the virus gets out." He took the stave back from Hulk and they kept moving. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wrote more of the AU in [ Chapter 7](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1128110/chapters/2343944) Apparently, Bruce wasn't dead after all. 
> 
> This is two snippets combined. The first it is a slightly edited version from the snippet posted [here](http://writingfish.tumblr.com/post/75072741027/ok-i-wrote-another-snippet-i-think-it-takes). The second snippet is found [here](http://writingfish.tumblr.com/post/75754991730/this-is-another-snippet-from-this-au-it-follows).

He was in a bed when he blinked awake. There was a weight on his hand and he could see a splash of green out of the corner of his left eye. There was breathing coming from that direction too, soft and even, holding a faint trace of a growl.

His body aches, but he wriggles his toes and twitches his fingers. Everything seems to be working. Carefully, he turns his head to the left.

Hulk was there, asleep and gently gripping his hand in his larger one. He twitched a bit and his grip tightened. He gave him a fond smile and carefully eased his hand out of the grip.

He left the wires attached to him for a moment and carefully sat up. The monitor spiked a bit before returning to a steady rhythm. He took a few breaths, slow and even, and carefully got out of bed.

Quickly, he switched the monitors off and unplugged them before detaching the wires. He glanced back at Hulk, who was still asleep and gave him a sad smile before slipping out of the room.

The outside hallway was empty, silent except for the faint humming from around him. There was a window to the right, where the hallway ended. Outside was just clouds and sky. He was on the Helicarrier then.

He sighed and leaned against the wall. He didn't know the layout well enough, but from what little he knew, he was on the north side of it, in one of the quieter parts. The planes were on the other side.

Across from him the door opened and Tony stepped out. They stared at each other for a few moments before Tony spoke.

"…you’re awake." He said and they stood there in awkward silence. "I should let the others know" Tony said eventually. He stepped forward and swallowed. "It’s good to see you awake Bruce."

He walked past him and Bruce didn't stop him. His mind whirled as things clicked and coalesced.

"I should be dead." he blurted and at the opposite end of the hallway, Tony stopped. "That was the plan," he continued, "I should have  _died_. I was meant to.” He looked at Tony with fear in his eyes. “Is he-?”

"He’s dead." Tony said quickly, frowning. "What  _exactly_  was this plan? Hulk mentioned it, but he didn’t tell us much.”

"That’s because you weren’t supposed to know." Bruce said running his fingers over his wrists. There’re no marks, no wounds, no new scars. The skin’s the same as it’s ever been. " _How?"_

He and Tony sat across from each other in the conference room. Bruce stared at his fingers, turning his hands from side to side and occasionally pinching the skin and watching it smoothen back out. He could feel Tony’s eyes on him, studying him with the same intensity he gave to the suit.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it as the words evaporated. He took a breath and let it out, absently wrapping his fingers around his left wrist, right at the pulse point. Tony was still staring at him, unmoving.

Abruptly, the door opened and Hulk thundered into the room, the rest of the Avengers behind him. Bruce found himself yanked from his chair and crushed in a tight hug. The air whooshed from his lungs and he could feel Hulk’s fast heartbeat.

“Never do that again,” Hulk rumbled quietly to him.

“Sorry” Bruce whispered back, voice strained. Hulk loosened his hold a little bit, but didn’t let go.

“ _Please_ ” he said instead, letting the word dangle between them.

Bruce hugged him back, letting his head thump forward onto Hulk’s chest. The quiet, steady thump of his heartbeat was a soothing sound and he could feel the tense uncertainty from when he woke up drain out of him.

Then someone from behind them cleared their throat and Hulk immediately tightened his grip and growled.

“As touching as this is,” Fury said, walking around them and into the center of the room. “We really need an explanation from Doctor Banner, so if we could get started?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I, uh, wrote a post on tumblr asking what an attempt at a romantic relationship between Bruce and Hulk would look like. I wound up writing a few snippets of that. Here's the first, which is also found [ here](http://writingfish.tumblr.com/post/75382773434/this-is-based-off-that-one-post-that-i-was-sure).

It isn’t until Tony sees the flower crown Hulk’s wearing that he truly gets it. It’s the same set of flowers that Bruce had brought from the florist earlier and had carefully woven into a circle. Tony had laughed at him then, but it had been the final piece of the puzzle he hadn’t been seriously working on.

It had all started when he found Bruce writing a letter. It wasn’t addressed to anyone, nor was it signed at the end, but the  _content_.                                             

"Writing to your girlfriend?" He had joked. Bruce had blinked and covered up the letter with one hand.

"N-no," he stuttered, turning a bit red. Tony grinned at him, leaned forward and tugged the letter out of Bruce’s grasp.

"Come on Bruce," he said, "I  _know_  what a love letter looks like.” He placed the letter on the table and grinned at Bruce. “So, who is it? Come on, you can tell me, your best friend in the whole wide world!”

Bruce gave him a look, then sighed. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

"Cross my heart and pinky swear" Tony said.

"I’m serious Tony." Bruce said, unimpressed.

"So am I," Tony replied and then said to J.A.R.V.I.S, "Soundproof the room, will you Jar?" There was a faint hum and then the walls darkened to become opaque.

"There," Tony said, "now, who is it?"

Bruce sighed and mumbled, “I’ve got a long distance boyfriend.” Tony stared at him. “How? When? Details, Bruce!  _Details_ ”

Bruce shook his head. “That’s all I’m saying on the matter Tony. Leave it alone.”

"Fine" Tony grumbled. He wasn’t going to get anything out of Bruce right now anyway.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the AU from the previous chapter. This snippet was posted [here](http://writingfish.tumblr.com/post/75625681317/i-wrote-more-of-that-one-au-other-scenes-are-here).

Bruce was watching a video of Hulk giving a blue flower to a little girl in the wake of last weeks battle when it it hit him.

"Shut it off" he told J.A.R.V.I.S, throat tight. He inhaled a deep, shaky breath and let it out, feeling the tightness in his chest remain the same.

"Doctor?" J.A.R.V.I.S said and there was a faint mixture of uncertainty and worry in the tone.

"Give me a moment" Bruce gasped and curled up further into the couch. He ran his fingers through his hair and laced them together on his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and tightened his fingers on his head.

"Are you alright?" J.A.R.V.I.S said quietly after a few moments.

Bruce opened his mouth and then closed it again, biting back words that did’t want to be contained. He uncurled from the couch and glanced about the room. It was empty, except for him. He sighed and shrank into himself.

"J.A.R.V.I.S" he said cautiously.

"How much privacy would you like?" J.A.R.V.I.S replied, dimming the lights and darkening the large window across the room.

"Don’t tell Tony what I’m going to tell you."

"I cannot promise that Doctor Banner" J.A.R.V.I.S said.

"I know" Bruce replied. "It has nothing to do with him. It’s just…private." He didn’t want to say it out loud at all, but the words burned in his throat and fought to be free.

"Very well" J.A.R.V.I.S replied and Bruce got the feeling that most of the AI’s attention was focused on him.

"I" Bruce began "I’ve fallen in love with someone I’m not supposed to." J.A.R.V.I.S remained silent which Bruce was grateful for.

"It’s-they’re-he’s completely unattainable. We can’t even talk! And there’s so much  _history_ …” He let his face fall into his palms and bit back a whimper, trying to regulate his breathing back to its normal pattern.

"I’m sorry" J.A.R.V.I.S offered eventually. Bruce was intensely thankful that the AI was smart enough to know who he was talking about. He didn’t think he’d ever want to say that sentence out loud.

"I wish I didn’t feel this," Bruce said, mostly to himself. "What am I going to do?" he moaned, curling further into himself. J.A.R.V.I.S didn’t have an answer.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a snippet from a Frozen/Avengers Fusion. It's also posted [here](http://writingfish.tumblr.com/post/74991451085/so-inexplicabletrousers-mentioned-frozen-and-bruce).

When he heard the news that his parents were dead, he was a little bit glad. After all, they had banished his brother to the far south, where the sun sweltered and burned anyone foolish enough to go out unprotected, and locked him up in the castle never to feel bare earth beneath his feet. 

He was alone now, most of the servants long having scattered to the far corners of the world. They had said that his family was cursed and whenever he caught sight of his black gloves, he believed them. 

It was coronation day and the few servants that were left were preparing the castle for the arrival of royalty from the neighboring kingdoms, however few there were.

When he pressed his ear to the door, he could hear the tough, bald, eye-patch man barking orders at the remaining servants. He’d watched all of them, from the bird-man who liked to perch in the rafters to the skinny stable boy who mucked out the stalls even-though there were very few horses left. Soon, the yelling stopped and there was the pitter-patter of feet receding further away from his door. 


End file.
